The Use of Probiotics can Help in Avoiding Neuropsychiatric Disorders in Children

The number of children suffering from ADHD is increasing day by day. ADHD is a condition that does not have any socioeconomic or racial bias and is reported in almost all ethnic groups. The statistics for various other autism spectrum disorder which include AS or Asperger Syndrome are quite grim. However, new studies conducted by scientists have brought hope for people with newborns. The results of the study suggest that if probiotics are given quite early in life they can help in avoiding neuropsychiatric disorders such as Asperger Syndrome and ADHD later in childhood.

The Causes of Developmental Disorders in Children

One thing that ADHD and autism have in common is the last of etiology. Doctors throughout the world have still not been able to find out the reason why children develop such conditions. This is one question that has completely beleaguered modern science since a very long time. Bowel problem is another common thing between both these disorders. There are many patients of ADHD who tend to experience intestinal and digestive issues and even the patients of autism suffer from these problems. This indicates that gut bacteria has an important role to play in both these disorders. The change in normal gut bacteria is therefore considered one of the prime reasons behind children developing such disorders. It has been concluded through studies that low levels of certain bacteria like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus are found in children suffering from ADHGD or autism. This results in chronic diarrhea related to such disorders. It has also been suggested through studies that children experiencing neurodevelopment problems generally have increased gut permeability which disturbs the lining of the intestines. Thus, it is important to understand the connection between brain disorders and gut flora in order to get a clear understanding of the reason behind children experiencing neurodevelopment problems.

The Study

Research on the subject of children suffering from neurodevelopment problems has been conducted by the Department of Pediatrics at University of Turku in Finland. The research included 75 newborns who were offered a Lactobacillus based probiotic and placebo during the first six months of their lives. This was done for tracking the number of children that developed neuropsychiatric disorder as they grew older. The progress of the children was measured over a period of 13 years and the study provided starling results.

Study Conclusions

The study conducted on infants found that the ones in the placebo group were diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and ADGD while the ones in the probiotic group did not suffer from any disorder. This had the scientists coming to the conclusion that probiotic supplements given early in life can help in reducing the chances of neuropsychiatric disorders later in childhood. The study also proved that there is definitely a connection between developmental disorders and gut health at a young age. However, there are more studies required for coming up with the best evidences.